New electric scooters rental services are going to be launched in Romania

Two Romanian startups recently launched electric scooter rental services in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

The first, known as “Flow”, will launch in June 2019 in both Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca. The same service will also be introduced over the summer in Timisoara and further expanded at a domestic level. The company will start with a fleet of about 500 electric scooters, but the target is to expand it to 2,000 - 3,000 vehicles by the end of the year. 

“Flow” will make use of a battery with a 30-kilometre range and all scooters will be equipped with a dual braking system. Thanks to a specific QR code inserted on the frame, each vehicle can interact with the dedicated app which is already available on the Apple Store or Google Play. Once used, the vehicle can be parked in one of the charging stations that are indicated on the map. Flow has already started arranging such stations in Bucharest.

The second group of Romanian entrepreneurs is preparing to enter the market with a similar service, called “Wolf-e Rides”, which is currently being tested on Romanian roads and will be launched by the end of May 2019. Similar to the “Flow” service, a dedicated app is already available to download on smartphones (both Android and IOS systems). A fleet composed of a few hundred electric trolleys will be launched in Bucharest at a price of 0.5 lei per minute (approx. 0.10 euro). The idea was born in the United States, where the five co-founders met.

Also, the US Lime start-up, valued over 10 billion dollars last summer, wishes to enter the Romanian market through a partnership with Bucharest City Hall, currently prepared for approval with a fleet of 1,000 electric scooters.